Spartan Beginnings
by AwesomeZombieSlayerGRL
Summary: This is going to be a fanfic about my They Have Returned OCs and how they all met and stuff


Ch. 1  
There are days when I wish life wasn't a constant battle. Where weren't currently at war with an alien race. When the Covenant first contacted us and we were in the early years of the war, I used to sit on my bed and stare up at the stars and wonder if there was anything out there. If there was, I drew little pictures of what I thought they might look like and showed them to my parents. I had no idea that we had had first contact. They pinned the pictures up on the wall and laughed and said that you never know what's out there. They didn't tell me until I saw the news one day. A planet was in the process of being glassed but the reporter said that the UNSC was pushing the Covenant back. There was a bit of film where I saw a Sangheili being knocked down and I made a sound when the alien fell. My parents turned around when they heard me and decided there to tell me what happened. An abridged version so that I wouldn't freak out and stay in my room for the rest of my life. After they told me what was going on, I decided that I was going to join the military and beat them back. My parents smiled and my dad said that his little blue firecracker was going to teach these aliens a lesson they won't soon forget. But now... 30 plus years later... Was any of this worth it?

September 25, 2548, Del Toro University, Gemini IV

"Oi! Auri! You got something in the mail!" Heather called from inside their dorm room. Auri had just stepped into their dorm when she heard her roommate call her in.  
"What is it?" Auri asked as she set her school bag down in the hall and hurried over to their room. She walked into their picture and poster bedazzled room. Band posters covered Heather's side and portaits, landscapes, and group pictures covered Auri's. Heather sat on her bed holding new mail in her hand.  
"Apparently they decided to send our letters in the old fashioned way," Heather replied, waving the papers.  
"Huh... Well, the UNSC is a bit odd," Auri replied sitting down on her bed, opposite her roommate. Heather handed her friend her letter.  
"Open them together?" Auri suggested.  
"Yeah. One."  
"Two."  
Before three, they ripped their envelopes open and reached inside to pull out the contents. The eagle symbol was the first thing Auri saw and then her name: Rachel Terra Auri. Then "Congratulations". Her eyes skimmed the rest of the letter before she looked up at her friend. Heather's dark green eyes were staring right back at her icy blue ones.  
"Did you...?" Heather asked.  
"Yeah... You?"  
"Yes!"  
"Great! We both got into the same military school!" They hugged.  
"So, now what?" Heather asked.  
"Call our parents?"  
"Call yours. I'll call my aunt and uncle."  
"Dad still mad?"  
"Yeah."  
The next half hour was spent calling their parents and relatives. There was plenty of "Congratulations!" and "You're sure about this?" which was met with assurances and happiness. They hung up the holo-phones and Heather tucked a long strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.  
"We gotta get packed before the deadline," Heather said glancing up at her roommate.  
"When's the deadline again?"  
"October fifteenth."  
"Okay... So we got a little under a month to get our supplies and get onto the shuttle."  
"We'll have to let our professors know too."  
"Yeah. Same with our coaches."  
"Oh yeah. Coach Brenner's gonna miss you."  
"I'm pretty sure he'll find another good swimmer."  
"Dude, you were, like, a fish out of water! You were able to beat more than half the guys on the team."  
"And what about you? You broke quite a few track records if I remember correctly." Heather snorted.  
Auri glanced at the clock. "Oh, shit! We're almost late for our 3:30 class!"  
"Wait, what? Ah crap! Grab your stuff and I'll meet you outside!"

The shuttle dropped the two girls off mid October on the muddy ground of Reach in front of a military school where it was currently pissing rain. An UNSC Commander stood out in front of the two with a Lieutenant holding an umbrella held over him. The officer approached the two new recruits.  
"Are you two Auri and Shenway?" he asked them.  
"Yessir," the two replied in unison.  
"Good. Follow me then. We need to get your papers in order and have you assigned to your barracks." Auri and Heather shared a look before following the Commander's brisk pace. The two glance around the complex. Despite the poor conditions, Reach's landscape was beautiful.  
"Isn't this one of the UNSC's biggest military-based planets?" Heather whispered.  
"From what I've heard, yeah. I don't know how the hell we got into the university here. Apparently they're super picky about who they accept," Auri replied in a soft voice.  
"Yes. You two were lucky to get in," the Commander announced in front of them. The two looked up at the Commander.  
"If you would just step in here, we can get started." He pulled open a door to an office in front of the girls and motioned for them to step inside. The office was brightly lit. There were a few filing cabinets and a holo-tube for an AI that was near the door. Flyers covered a large cork board on one of the walls; most were announcements. Two chairs were placed in front of the desk where the Commander sat down. He pulled up a holographic keyboard and typed in a few identification numbers before bringing up the girls' profiles.  
"Pyschiatric report checks out. Grades are good; apparently, you two aren't slackers like most of the recruits that get dropped off here. You both were involved in sports I take it?"  
"Yes, sir," Auri replied.  
"Swimming and water polo for you"- he pointed a pen at Auri -"and track and field for you?" He pointed to Heather. The two nodded.  
"You two were really talented there. Any other activities?" The Commander raised an eyebrow at the two.  
"I was in choir for three years,"Auri said.  
"And I took theater for two."  
"Good, good." The Commander interviewed them for a bit longer before getting up from his chair. He picked up his datapad. "You two will be in the barracks North East of here. Room A349 for Shenway and C538 for Auri. Here's a map. Make your way to the barracks and unpack. I suggested you go to sleep within the next couple hours. Training starts tomorrow morning at 0500. Meet back here at that time. No later."  
Auri and Heather salute the man and make their way down to the barracks.  
"Five in the morning? That's bull crap," Heather grumbled as they neared the building.  
"Just be glad he didn't make it 4:30."  
"I think I'm starting to regret this decision."  
"I'm sure it'll get better."  
Heather laughed. "You are such an optimist. I hope so."


End file.
